Oh dear... sad report

[Rhona]

I knew the numbers were in decline but not this much. I've just put some extra food out!

BBC NEWS | UK | Sparrow numbers 'plummet by 68%'

[Two_Sheds]

They're all at my place!
(well, a dozen of them are)

[Nicos]

Well at least we're not shooting them in the UK!
I live in rural France and my neighbour who was brought up in the local village asked what a blue tit was- and had never even seen a great tit
Actually they are around , but as so few people feed them here ( loads of fields and woods here so they get to eat plenty of their natural food).
Hunters tend to go for anything that moves- including peeps out for a Sunday afternoon stroll( note..hi-viz jackets required!!)- anything is up for grabs.
-we even need to keep our cat in - just in case - at weekends.

You'd never believe we live in an area which almost has National Park status!

[Flummery]

We always have lots - we've even got a house sparrow box up (Spadger villas!) - but the great tits use it more!

[Oolalula]

We've got a lovely colony that live around our place - I reckon about 20odd in total, but they tend to stick in two or three smaller groups. They're wonderful, very noisy but lively birds.

I was REALLY pleased to see a pair of tree sparrows today - quite strikingly reddy-brown in colour on the head (male). I think because we've let a lot of the hedging grow quite large this year (never seemed to have a run of dry days to cut them all back), they've come up closer to the house.

[lynda66]

when i moved in here, there was a whole flock of sparrows, they used to bring the babies to fall in .... erm i mean drink in our pond, but this year no babies at all, and haven't actually seen a sparrow for months hopefully they've just moved on, but it's weird not seeing them.

[Polly Fouracre]

They're all here! Queueing up in the mornings for their grub. Also blackbirds waiting on the hen run for me to fill up the dish with lovely organic layer's pellets!

[jacob marley]

The sparrow mob as i call them clear the bird table evry afternoon about an hour before dark jacob marley

[Two_Sheds]

The thing about sparrows, is they nest communally. You can put up your ordinary bird boxes, and sparrows won't use them, because they like to live together. http://www.beautifulbritain.co.uk/ht...ow_terrace.htm


and like this one: http://www.podington.co.uk/user/prod...Nest%20Box.jpg

[Birdie Wife]

Most of the decline has been in urban areas - the 'cheeky cockney sparra' is virtually extinct. One theory is that they are being poisoned by carbon monoxide build-up in the cities.

[Jenegade]

[QUOTE=Two_Sheds;313401]The thing about sparrows, is they nest communally. You can put up your ordinary bird boxes, and sparrows won't use them, because they like to live together. How to build a bird box for house sparrows

Yup, we only have a few, but my parents have tons living in their bamboo!! the bamboo is quite dense and tall you see, and whenever you walk past it, a million Sparrows fly out!! Well maybe not a million, but they're so loud it sounds like it sometimes!

[Alice]

Yes, I saw that too, Rhona, but I'm pleased to report we have them here.
In my last garden we had a fabulous collection of birds as we had a great habitat for them, but we never had any sparrows.
But here, in the breeding season this year the place was alive with sparrows.
There aren't so many at the moment, I think they've dispersed for the winter, but there are a few turn up to the bird feeders. Lovely, cheeky little birds.

[Tam]

Cheap dog biscuit, (Tesco's for instance) soaked, makes quite a good bird food and, if you search on the web, you can find peanuts and seeds by the 25 kilo that are much cheaper than you can ever find locally.

[BrideXIII]

Cheap dog biscuit, (Tesco's for instance) soaked, makes quite a good bird food and, if you search on the web, you can find peanuts and seeds by the 25 kilo that are much cheaper than you can ever find locally.

so sorry i had to laugh at this, cos you are quite right, tescos dog food is fantastic for birds, which is why it is so bad for dogs still a sack goes along way at treating all those wild birds

[sewer rat]

I don't have too many garden birds at my field but the two gardens I work at part time are both supporting fairly large numbers of sparrows at the moment.
Oh Yeah - was well chuffed on Wednesday as a flock of Waxwings (approx 60) were taking a break n the large oak tree at the back of the potting shed - I've always loved these birds since I saw them in my garden as a kid.